Man Gets 15 Years for Mailing White Powder

A Siloam Springs man convicted of sending threatening letters and white powder to former co-workers was sentenced in federal court Wednesday to 15 years in prison.

Legal Lingo

Sentencing Guideline

The Federal Sentencing Guidelines are rules for computing uniform sentencing. They provide classifications of offenses or offenders, scales of severity of crimes and suggested punishments in federal courts. The guidelines are advisory. A 2005 U.S. Supreme Court ruling said they violated the right to trial by jury and were unconstitutional if mandatory.